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“The routines of housework and of mothering may be seen as a kind of death, and it is appropriate that they should be, for they offer a chance, day after day, to lay down one’s life for others. Then they are no longer routines.”

“The truest prayer is ofttimes that in which we creep into the bosom of God and rest there in silence. We do not know what to ask, and we dare not say even a word, lest it might be the wrong word, hence we simply wait before God in quietness and confidence. We know that what is best–our Father will do, and we trust Him to do what He will.”

“Do not resent your place in the story. Do not imagine yourself elsewhere. Do not close your eyes and picture a world without thorns, without shadows, without hawks. Change this world. Use your body like a tool meant to be used up, discarded, and replaced. Better every life you touch. We will reach the final chapter. When we have eyes that can stare into the sun, eyes that only squint for the Shenikah, then we will see laughing children pulling cobras by their tails, and hawks and rabbits playing tag.”
― N.D. Wilson, Notes from the Tilt-A-Whirl: Wide-Eyed Wonder in God’s Spoken World

“The cause of our discontent: We simply do not believe God. The wilderness experience leads to the Promise Land. It is the path God chose for us. His Word is established forever, and He tells us in a thousand ways that He is our peace, His choices for us will lead to fulfillment and joy, the way of transgressors is hard. Do we suppose that we could find a better way than His?”

“We want to pray. “Lord, please remove the dilemma.” Usually the answer is “No, not right away.” We must face it, pray over it, think about it, wait on the Lord, make a choice. Sometimes it is an excruciating choice.

St. Augustine said, “The very pleasures of human life men acquire by difficulties.” There are times when the entire arrangement of our existence is disrupted and we long then for just one ordinary day -seeing our ordinary life as greatly desirable, even wonderful, in the light of the terrible disruption that has taken place. Difficulty opens our eyes to pleasures we had taken for granted.”

“Complaint is the flag of ingratitude, and it waves above the center of unbelieving hearts -“when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful” (Rom.1:21). Yet, by grace, God’s redemption and creation ought to keep us in a perpetual state of thanks which bursts out in celebration at every opportunity.”